Singer Britney Spears has earned millions of pounds from marketing her hour-glass figure to teenagers. But recently she has been piling on different types of pounds as she struggles to cope with her split from childhood  

          sweetheart Justin  Timberlake. Friends say the 20-year-old   star has been  easing her heartache with comfort foods and heavy drinking since parting with the NSync singer In March. During a recent performance in Vancouver, fans gasped as the former pencil-thin singer's belly hung over her waistband.  Insiders say the 5ft  5in pop star has gone from 105lb to 120lb in a matter of weeks. Fan Liz McKinnon,  who had front  row seats  with  her six-year-old daughter for the Vancouver show, said: "I was shocked at how much  weight  she has put on  it  looks like at least  l5lb.  When she turned round her butt looked huge. I actually felt embarrassed for her . "

        Sources close to the star say that along with the binge-eating,  she has  also turned to  alcohol to drown her sorrows,favouring calorie-packed cocktails. Since finishing with Timberlake, Britney has also had to cope with the painful separation of her parents, who had been married for 30 years. With 34 dates  on  her current tour, there in every chance Britney will sweat off some of the excess weight.